Company
by Scarlet Secret
Summary: In which Laura and Robbie utterly fail to act their age and Jean and James are forced to step in.


_In which Laura and Robbie utterly fail to act their age and Jean and James are forced to step in._

Company

"You don't have to do this Robbie. I appreciate your company but surely you must have somewhere else to be?"

Robbie met her eyes and couldn't help but notice the slightly pleading look under her expression of forced flippancy.

"Nowhere'd rather be."

"Oh you old softie."

He allowed her to mock but he noticed the softness of her eyes as she did.

"Right then, on this, your fourth night of making sure I don't do something stupid in the night, what would you like to eat?"

"Not fussed pet, whatever it is it'll be on me."

"You just assume I'm not going to cook?"

"Why break the habit of a lifetime?"

She playfully batted his arm but without any real indignation before slumping further in the sofa next to him. Causally he yawned and allowed his arm to fall across her shoulders causing them both to smirk.

"Long day at work?"

"No longer than normal I s'pose...Think I'm just older."

"Undoubtedly," she smiled at him before rolling her eyes. "Jean won't let me come back yet. I don't really know why she's got jurisdiction over my employment but I'm on enforced leave."

"Back home we called that the sack."

She swiped at his knee.

"Jean wouldn't dare."

"Hmmm, has our leader got skeletons in the cupboard that you haven't told me about?"

"Only Mr Innocent I expect. Jean and I have an understanding."

"I dread to think."

"We didn't get off to a tremendous start so these days we keep our interaction as minimal as possible and make sure that we are never, _ever_ left alone together."

"Or else only one of you'll come away alive?"

"No, because the passion might overtake us."

She rolled her eyes at his suddenly glassy expression and let out a frustrated sigh.

"I don't want to talk about Jean bloody Innocent. Go forth and find us food, I'll find some wine."

He closed his eyes smiling.

"An' I was having such a good daydream."

He pulled himself out of his seat and Laura couldn't help but smile after him, her heart being warmed by his presence.

"Robbie..."

He turned around and she froze. What had she intended to say? Her eyes darted from his enquiring eyes to his lips and back again, apparently before he noticed.

"Nothing, forget it. While you're ordering the food I'm just going to make a quick call alright?"

He nodded and left her to it. After a brief moment of indecision Laura pounced towards the phone and dialled a number she had memorised for just such an occasion.

"Hello?"

"Hi James, it's Laura."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. You are my friend James, I am allowed to contact you without their being a body to deal with aren't I?"

"Of course. I only asked because your voice is about two octaves higher than usual."

"Right."

"I take it Inspector Lewis is there?"

Laura closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead in despair.

"How did you guess?"

"Ah. No blank denial, this is at least more helpful than his usual grunts."

"Hmmm, I certainly know about them."

"So what's the problem?"

"Do you remember that conversation we had about a year ago?"

"When we were extremely drunk and you confessed that you'd always been in love with him?"

Laura rolled her eyes at his smug tone.

"Yes that. The same night you told me how much you'd like to make Jean scream on her desk."

Hathaway coughed quietly and Laura wondered whether she had burnt her bridges for the evening.

"So, that night?"

"I still don't know if Robbie's ready. We dance around each other so much but I don't even know if he realises how much he's flirting."

"Do you?"

"What?"

"I've seen the two of you together. You're all over him, linking arms, kissing his cheek, etcetera, etcetera."

"I do that with you too!"

"Yes but I'll never stand a chance with you Laura, I'll set my sights lower."

"On Jean?"

"I should have cut the tongue out of your head there and then."

She smirked at his tones but pushed on nonetheless.

"Should I kiss him or not James? Is he ready for me?"

"Laura, you can wait for him forever and he might never be entirely ready but he certainly needs you and I am without a single doubt that he wants you. I think I've got to know him over the last few years and he's never as happy as when you're around: which certainly makes my attempts to cheer him up pale into significance. Go for it, I can guarantee than you'll get a positive response."

She was silent for a while but finally the emotions spilled over her.

"Thank you James, you really are a darling man you know that?"

"I bet he heard that."

Laura laughed and turned around. Sure enough Robbie was edging back into the room. He had two glasses of wine in his hands and a tentative smile. She couldn't help but be drawn to his lips again however her eyes quickly moved to his eyes and the confusion within them. She could have kicked herself.

"You're right."

"Ah...Bugger."

"Quite. I have to go."

"I understand. Don't call me again Laura, please shag him for god's sake."

Praying that she hadn't blushed as red hot as she felt Laura smiled pleasantly at Robbie.

"Goodnight James."

"Goo-"

She hung up and tossed the phone onto the sofa.

"Sorry about that. Needed his opinion on when I should return to work."

She knew there was no way in hell that Robbie would actually believe her but he gamely nodded along and they both sat on the sofa.

"Mine not good enough?"

"You only want me back because you don't trust any other pathologist."

"It's as valid a reason as any I recon."

She smiled into her glass and took a large sip. They smiled at each other for a moment and once again her eyes fell onto his lips – they were faintly wine-stained and partly open – but she dragged her eyes back up to his.

"Robbie..." She edged in slightly, feeling encouraged from James' advice, but Robbie shot out of his seat and she sat up straight again to stop herself falling flat on her face.

"I'll be right back."

He slipped out of the room before Laura could object and was soon scrolling through the names on his phone. He reached the I's and pressed call.

"Evening Ma'am."

"Robbie," she sighed deeply and he wondered why she seemed to be anticipating him.

"Erm...how's your night off going?"

On the other end of the phone Jean rolled her eyes and paused the television.

"Nothing too thrilling."

"Mr Innocent not about?"

"He's in Marrakesh."

Robbie nodded sagely, as though this were the most common place in the world to be.

"So you're free for a quick chat?"

Jean took a large sip of her wine.

"Luckily for you both, yes I am."

"Both."

"This is either about you and James or you and Laura, I'd hazard a guess that it's the latter as yours and James' working relationship seems very strong at the moment. So it must be our good Doctor."

"Genius as usual Ma'am."

"Stop crawling Robbie, it doesn't suit you and I've already decided to help."

"Thanks. I'm desperate."

"And you didn't call Hathaway?"

"I can't ring him about this Ma'am, I'd never hear the end of it."

"And other than James and Laura I am quite literally you're only other acquaintance?"

"Well...I thought as you already know the situation and you...well you..."

"What?"

"Nothing forget it. I'll go, thanks fo-"

"Don't you dare. Tell me why I'm better suited for this."

There was a moments silence before Lewis spoke.

"You've got more class than Hathaway."

She rolled her eyes.

"That's good of you to say Robbie but I think we both know the real reason."

"Fine. You're a woman. I need some insight."

She smiled triumphantly at the immobile figures on her television.

"Thank you. Now what's the problem? And I should point out that if this is anything that couldn't be discussed around our mothers then I want no part of it."

"No! It's nothing like that, god, we've only just started getting closer."

Jean couldn't help but smile at his sense of outrage. It seemed he really was an old fashioned gentleman at heart.

"So?"

"She keeps giving me these odds looks."

"Odd in what way?"

"Like, one minute she'll be talking quite normally and then her eyes'll start drifting across me face. It feels like she's counting the wrinkles."

Jean buried her head into the settee in despair.

"Oh for god sake!"

"Ma'am?"

"That's the problem?"

"Well, I know I'm no spring chicken but it's a bit off-putting if she thinks I'm nearly in the knackers yard!"

She put on her most condescending voice. The one usually reserved for new constables who made elementary mistakes, the mechanics who were apparently incapable of getting rid of the rattle in her engine and...well...Lewis and Hathaway actually.

"I know you're out of practice Robert but has it ever occurred to you that she might instead be...oh god, I can't even say it it's so elementary. When she gives you these looks are they by chance focussed on your mouth?"

"Yeah?"

"She's thinking of kissing you Lewis, not of consigning you to the scrap heap."

The silence on the end of the phone amused Jean further.

"Kissing me?"

"Yes Robbie. Some women do think of kissing you."

She immediately blushed and shoved her face into the sofa at how that sounded but thankfully Robbie didn't seem to have noticed.

"She wants to kiss me? Really?"

"Yes!"

There was a silence again.

"Robbie?"

"I'm still here – thanks Ma'am, I appreciate the help."

"Are you going to make a move tonight, because you're endless flirting is getting a bit tedious?"

"Erm..."

"Just try you best Lewis. Good luck."

She hung up the phone and Lewis stashed it back in his pocket. He took a deep breath and looked at himself in Laura's hallway mirror.

"Right then...come one man."

He went back into the living room with a spring in his step. Laura smiled at him from the sofa and he moved back into his space next to her.

"Sorry about that, just remembered an urgent call I had to make."

"It's fine."

He picked up Laura's glass and she took it with haste, draining it in one go.

"Thirsty?"

She nodded and swallowed her wine.

"Is everything alright?"

She gestured vaguely towards his stashed away phone.

"What? Oh yeah...all fine, just had to...erm..."

His babbling made her smile. She had a feeling she knew what he was trying to say and for the first time ever decided to take pity on him.

She leant forward unobtrusively, giving him the chance to move away if he wanted to. He didn't as it happened and her lips brushed against his slightly parted ones as he was trying to finish his sentence. She moved back into her seat and returned the smile he was displaying.

"What were you saying Robbie? Remember, you can say anything to me."

He smiled wider and but leant forward slightly. She met him for another kiss but when she pulled pack he just looked dazed.

"I just had to speak to someone about what's happening here Laura. It's stupid I know but she gave me the answer I wanted."

Laura's eyes briefly went wide but she suppressed the shock.

"Right...I'll be right back."

Before Robbie could speak Laura bolted upstairs, muttering a mantra of 'she' under her breath the whole way. She found her mobile on charge in her bedroom. She scrolled through to the Js and pressed call.

"Hello?"

"Jean, it's Laura."

"Oh for god sake what's he done!"

"What?"

"I am not an agony aunt. I am a very over-worked woman trying to enjoy a quiet evening at home watching 'Silent Witness' and drinking a glass of wine."

Jean nearly kicked herself. On the other end of the phone she could practically feel the Doctor's smirk forming.

"'Silent Witness'?"

"Shut up."

"We kissed."

"We did?"

"Jean!"

"Sorry. I'm very glad for you."

"There's a problem."

"Oh Lord. Ohhhh, I've just topped up my glass, go on then."

"I think I might have started it. I don't want him to feel like I'm pressuring-"

"Isn't he a bit old to be peer-pressured?"

"I'm hardly his peer. You and I are a t least a generation beneath him. That's not the point though, what if he only did it because he felt obliged?"

"You're as bad as each other. Robbie wants to kiss you and he thought he was too old to do it. He's too much of gentleman to try to get you in to bed straight away and I couldn't possibly speculate on how that relates to his age too."

"That's...but he does want to? At some point? Go to bed that is?"

"I would surmise as much."

"That's wonderful and...Jean? How on god's earth do you know this."

"He's already rung me tonight. Why won't you two leave me alone?"

"Would you believe that we want to invite you into our sex games?"

Jean choked on her wine.

"Joking."

"You had..." she coughed. "Better be."

Laura laughed at the other woman's tones.

"Now for the love of god, leave me alone. I'm tired and irritable...and before you even think to say-"

"Not too different to your usual form? Sorry but sometimes it'd be a shame to let them go."

"Bugger off."

"Love you too Ma'am."

She heard the other end of the phone click off and Laura smirked as she placed her phone back on her bedside table. She silently walked down the stairs, hoping that if she arrived suddenly enough then Robbie's expression might give him away. Outside the living room door she heard him speaking.

"...you've had your fun, now bloody well help me man!"

...

"We kissed."

...

"Yes really."

...

"Hathaway!"

Laura took a deep breath and wished she could hear what the Sergeant was saying.

"Don't be so bloody nosy!"

Then again, she thought, maybe the thoughts of young men were best kept away from her.

"Well she kind of leant forward and kissed me. Twice."

...

"I know, it's me own bloody fault. I should have done something."

...

"Anything!"

...

"Yeah, I kissed her back."

...

"You think that'll work?"

...

"What makes you so sure?"

...

"Alright...what if I do something wrong though?"

...

"I don't know...head butt her or something, I'm a bit out of practice."

...

"Cheeky sod."

...

"And what's that?"

...

"Love her?

Laura bit her lip, anticipating the response.

"Of course I bloody do!"

The smile burst onto her face and it was all she could do not to bounce on the spot.

"I better go, she'd only gone to the loo or something, she'll be back in a sec and I think we both need more wine."

...

"Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it, I really do. Night."

Inside she heard Robbie stand up and come towards the door.

Acting like lightening she shot up the stairs again, hoping that the carpet coupled with her socks would muffle the sound. Once in her room she immediately grabbed her phone again. Laura scrolled through to her most recent calls and pressed the little green button once more.

"Jean, it's me again, look I'm really sorry but-"

"Oh good grief woman just shag him and leave me alone. Leo's emoting."

With that Jean immediately hung up leaving Laura staring at her phone in utter confusion. Finally she laughed and put the phone down for the final time that night. Smiling to herself she lit a few candles, pushed a few stray articles of clothes into the wardrobe haphazardly and smiling to herself she readjusted her bra slightly and went downstairs preparing to take Jean's advice fully on board.

End.


End file.
